Dak Prescott Ignores Sponsorship Money To See His Grandma

Not only is Dak Prescott winning NFL games and impressing Hall of Famers, he's winning over hearts across the country.

The rookie quarterback out of Mississippi State is a native of Haughton, and a legend for the Haughton Bucs football program. But in all reality, it' hasn't always been the easiest road, and Dak wasn't always given this first option, or was looked at as the top option.

While in high school, Dak was only rated 3 (out of 5) stars by Rivals.com and other recruiting services. On the surface, he may have been regarded as a "traitor" by some LSU fans for leaving the state to play his college football, but that's far from the truth. Mississippi State received his commitment prior to his senior year at Haughton, months before LSU even STARTED recruiting him. So don't blame Dak there.

Getty Images (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

After Dak set half-a-dozen Bowl game records (including 3 Orange Bowl records), winning the MVP or Most Outstanding Player in the Belk Bowl, Liberty Bowl, and Senior Bowl, being named First Team All-SEC twice, and breaking over 10 school records, it came time to head into the NFL Draft.

Dak was invited to the NFL Combine, where he impressed with his 40 Yard Dash time, and Broad Jump...where is 116 inch jump was the best for a QB at the combine. Yet even with his college accolades and NFL Combine performance, Dak was only rated 5.46 by NFL.com. That rating lists Dak as a "backup or eventual starter" well behind a rating of "Chance to become good NFL starter" and barely ahead of a "Developmental prospect or special teams potential" rating.

The Dallas Cowboys headed into the NFL Draft with the plans of getting a prospect quarterback that could grow and mature behind Tony Romo. For a long time, it appeared the Cowboys were targeting Paxton Lynch, a QB out of Memphis. After the Cowboys took Exekiel Elliot with the #5 overall pick, it seemed obvious they were hanging back to find that QB prospect. But at that point, Dak seemed like a stretch.

Which was yet again, another example of Dak not being the first choice.

Then when you looked at the quarterback depth chart in Dallas, you started to wonder if Dak would even get a fair shot. But as he started to impress coaches, and as players ahead of him started to get injured, Dak's place became solidified. Then Tony Romo got hurt, and Dak was thrust into the starting role.

Since that point, Dak has set NFL records, guided his team to a 5-1 record, impressed players, coaches, Hall of Fame members, the media, the country...pretty much everyone.

But now with all of that behind, and Dak's meteoric rise in full swing, he's still just that kid from Haughton.

With all of the turmoil he pushed through, from the biggest loss you can deal with in your life, to not being believed in, not recruited, not rated high enough, not wanted in a draft...how is Dak so grounded still? To be honest, it probably has a lot to do with all of that.

So when the spotlight and dollar signs that come with NFL stardom start filling Dak's life, how does he react?

That's how.

Dak Prescott, who has spent portions of his life being listed as an "unwanted" commodity...from high school recruiting sites, to LSU, to even the NFL team he's currently piloting, is now "wanted". He now holds all of the cards, and can do what he wants. And in a world where we see athletes like Johnny Manziel and JaMarcus Russell throw it all away, a Dak Prescott is a much needed sight.